An Unexpected Destination
by panneler-san
Summary: Sequel to An Unpleasant Situation. No matter how hard she tries, Hermione Weasley can't deny that Voldemort is coming home.
1. Rose

**At long last, here it is! I hope you enjoy it very much. I know I'll enjoy writing it.**

**I do not own Harry Potter**

Rose

_I saw him again, in another dream. This time his face was clearer than any other time, his eyes full of expression and sadness. Betrayal. Guilt._

_ Love…_

_ The eyes that had once been filled with such great warmth that I felt loved right down to my fingertips shined with the light that had long since evaporated. I missed him._

_ I loved him._

_ But then his eyes turned on me, filling with hatred and heartlessness, even though I could still see the immeasurable guilt and pain behind them. Then, his entire image faded, leaving me once again alone in the darkness, with nothing more than an echo of the past to tie us together._

"Goodbye, love," said Hermione Weasley, hugging her daughter tightly and moving her hand, out of habit, to fix her daughter's shirt collar. "And don't worry about what your father tells you. We will _not_-" Ron could feel the glares of his wife on his back before turning nervously to Harry and striking up a conversation, "disown you if you get into Slytherin."

Rose smiled sweetly, nodding her head happily.

"And," said her mother in a strangled, forced voice, "Don't worry about Scorpius Malfoy, alright? If you treat him with respect, I'm sure there won't be a reason for you to fight…"

"Mum, don't worry," sighed Rose, patting her mother on the head. "I got your brain, I'll be fine. Like dad says, I'll beat him in every test!"

Hermione's smile was painful and forced, but she smiled nevertheless. "Off you go, now," she whispered. "I'll see you at Christmas. Keep your cousin's out of trouble."

Rose threw her arms around her mother for one last hug before racing onto the train as it began to pull away. Hermione watched as her brother-in-law ran after it for as long as he could, waving after Al until they vanished on the horizon.

"He'll be alright," Ginny whispered into Harry's ear.

"I know he will."

"Ours will too, you know," said Ron quietly to his wife, taking her hand in his lovingly and squeezing it. "Rose is smart. She'll stay out of any trouble. You can stop crying."

"I-I didn't realize," she mumbled, using her free hand to wipe away the water droplets clinging to her eyelashes. "This is just happening so fast. I'm so worried, Ron,"

"She'll be fine," he repeated. "Come on – Let's get back to the house. The Healer will be over soon, and Hugo still hasn't been given lunch. Bye Harry, Ginny,"

"Later, you two," called Ginny, dragging a wailing Lily with her.

Hermione turned to follow her husband when a flash of silver met her eyes. It all happened in a second, one small second, but the images that flashed past her mind seemed to take years to vanish.

It was Draco – her Draco – standing next to his wife and staring at her, unblinking. Hermione gulped. It had been years since she had seen him. She hoped, somewhere in her heart, that he had moved on, but the anguish that flashed in his silver eyes proved otherwise.

And that voice… That high, cold, unfeeling, evil voice that polluted her thoughts was laughing…laughing…laughing…

"Hermione?" said Ron. "The Healer…Your treatment."

She cleared the catch in her throat and ripped her eyes away from his. "Right. Let's go."

She had turned away from that life. She had left behind the year that never was, deciding to abandon all memories of the parallel universe. Over time, she had learned to forget about him. She had learned to love Ron once again. But her old wound still refused to heal. The scar would always be on her heart.

But so long as he never discovered her darkest secret, she didn't mind if she could keep her promise to Draco Malfoy forever.

_Who the heck is "Malfoy"? No one will shut up about him! Sure, we're fourth cousins or something dumb like that, but I haven't ever met him before. Merlin, dad never shuts up about him. Speaking of which, dad really doesn't like him._

_ It's way obvious. Mum doesn't like him all that much either, or so it seems. Whenever someone brings him up (mostly dad or Uncle Harry,) she stiffens and stops talking._

_ I do NOT want to associate with the son of such a man that makes my mother uncomfortable. This will be the seven longest years of my whole life!_

Rose watched her mother from the back of the train until she vanished. Then she sighed lightly, plopping down on the plush, red seat and waited for her stupid cousins to come back.

James had dragged Albus away the second they had got on board, muttering about Wakspurts and Lorcan and Lysander "Loony" Scamander and their year older sister, Holly. Sure, their family was a little odd, but they were good friends, and always had been, to Rose and her family.

The compartment door rattled open and her head shot up. Standing in the doorway was three people, all with an air of superiority surrounding them. The only girl of the party had beautiful, dark skin, sparkling green eyes, and was very pretty. There was a short, fat boy with mousy black hair and a face like a Pug Dog. The boy standing in the middle, however, was of a completely different nature of the two.

His hair was such a shocking shade platinum blonde that Rose felt the urge to blink when she looked at it. His eyes were molten silver that seemed to spark and jump with every subtle movement he made. He was very tall, and looked very mature for one his age.

"Mind if we sit?" he asked coolly.

"I don't mind," said Rose.

The black girl hopped straight into the compartment, plopped right beside Rose, and smiled warmly. "I'm Myckayla," she beamed. "Myckayla Zabini. But you can call me Micky."

"Pleased to meet you," said Rose, almost heaving a sigh of relief when she realized that this girl wasn't hostile.

Micky pointed to the short fat boy and said, "That's Vincent Goyle. He's extremely pleased to meet you."

"Can't he say so himself?" she asked icily.

"He's mute," the blonde boy responded harshly.

"I'm sorry," said Rose, "I didn't mean to-"

Vincent made some type of hand gesture.

"He says he doesn't take offense, he gets it all the time," Micky translated.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy," said the blonde.

Rose twitched.

"Didn't catch your name," Micky said.

"Rose," she said, not taking her eyes off of Scorpius. "Rose Hermione Weasley."

_I'm so worried. So very worried. What will I do? Rose is so much like me. We could pass of as sisters if I was a bit younger. We like practically the same things. It scared Merlin's pants off of me when she told me that her favorite type of muffin was blueberry._

_ My past really never will stop haunting me._

_ I'm sick._

_ Very sick. Whether or not I'm physically ill or mentally ill, no one knows. In terms of health, I'm not keeping together that well. Irregular breathing, bad coughing, trouble sleeping, I have it all._

_ But then there's also that voice._

_ The voice of Voldemort._

_ Ever since I was sixteen, it hasn't left me. Constantly, whispering words to me that are now empty, but just as heavy as before._

_ You are going to die._

_ You are nothing._

_ You are all alone._

_ Laughter._

_ Constant, endless, echoing laughter._

_ I'm worried. I don't want my daughter to have her whole life taken away from her. I don't want her to get hurt. I don't want her to be like me._

_ But what can I possibly do?_

**First chapter OUT! WHOOT! I will update once a week, hopefully. Expect the chapters to be longer than in the last fanfic. I hope you enjoyed it!**

***Bows***

**Panneler-san**

**(P.S. Have a CRAZY school year! It's starting!)**


	2. Of Slytherins and Gryffindors

**No ownage claimed. *sigh* it's such a pain to not be JKR.**

**I apologize profoundly for not updating in several months. I'm sure you've all forgotten about my tragic little tail and its sequel :( Please forgive me and understand.**

Of Slytherins and Gryffindors

"And how are you feeling today, Mrs. Weasley?" asked Patricia, her private Healer.

"The same," she answered quietly, distracted by the amusing sounds of her husband trying to bewitch carrots so Hugo would eat them.

"Are you still hearing that voice after your treatment?" she inquired, waving her wand so that a soft, green glow emitted from my skin.

I smiled sadly. "No," I lied. "No, I'm not."

"Good, good," she mumbled, rummaging in her unusually large red crocodile bag. "What about those dreams of yours? Gone away, yet?"

"No," I said. "I have them every night."

Patricia looked at me, pausing her search with questioning eyes before returning to her task and pulling a small, blue bottle out of her bag. "Drink this, dear," she said, handing it to me. "Are you feeling stressed or nervous lately?"

"All the time," I said. "My daughter, you see, it's her first year at Hogwarts…"

"Understandable," she sniffed. "My own son left for Hogwarts this year, as well. Perhaps they'll become friends?"

She nodded numbly, pulling the cork out of the bottle and tipping the entire contents into her mouth. This potion was very warm, but it always left her feeling cold.

"Is there anything else bothering you, Mrs. Weasley?"

This question caught her so off guard that the bottle in her hands slipped from her fingers and shattered on the wooden floor. In a flash, Ron was by her side.

"What's wrong?" he asked hurriedly. "Hermione, are you okay? Did you cut yourself?"

"I-I'm fine, Ron," she said quietly. "No need to worry. I was just careless. Go back to Hugo. If he's stolen any cookies again, make sure he eats ten carrots for every one he took."

Ron grinned sloppily in the way that Hermione loved. "Okay."

_"Repairo,"_ said Patricia lazily as Ron went back into the kitchen. Catching the warm, happy look fading off of her clients face, she frowned. "Mrs. Weasley?"

Hermione lied for the second time that day. "No," she whispered. "No, there's nothing."

_Honestly, I always thought she'd be ugly. Really ugly. I mean, father is always talking about what an idiot her dad is. Idiots are ugly. Ugly people make ugly children. At least, that's what my mum always tells me, and then she reminds me not to get a big head just because I got my father's face._

_ But Rose Weasley wasn't ugly. She wasn't beautiful, mind you, but she wasn't ugly. Hm. I remember mum saying the first time dad saw Rose, he said, "Looks as beautiful as her mother." I guess Rose's mum isn't ugly to my dad. Maybe they were friends in school? He doesn't talk about it much. Well, when you get one ugly person and one beautiful person, I suppose it just comes out a Weasley._

"So what house do you want to be in, Rose?" asked Micky three seconds after she had declared her full name.

Rose tore her gaze away from Scorpius' eyes and smiled at her new friend. "Gryffindor. My mum and dad were in it. Although I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw,"

"The only house I don't want to get into is Hufflepuff, honestly," she replied, laughing.

Rose smiled.

The compartment door rattled open once again, and James came in, looking over his shoulder in distress. "Rose, did you see – _whoa_."

Micky blinked in amusement at finding the newcomer staring at her in astonishment. Albus pushed past his brother and into the compartment.

"Rose," he said "Holly's been looking for you. Where've you been?"

"Here," she replied.

"A Potter," said Scorpius suddenly, eying the brothers. "Two Potters."

"And you must be a Malfoy," supplied Al coldly.

Holly then entered, breaking the small pause that had rested on them. "It's crowded in here!" she exclaimed, making her way over to Rose and Micky, who were the only two sitting. "Good morning, Rose. Who are all your friends?"

"Just met them," she replied, glairing icily at Scorpius. "Micky, Scorpius, and Vincent."

"He's very pleased to meet you," said Micky yet again, nodding in Vincent's direction.

"Can't he say so himself?" Holly asked, confused.

"He's mute!" said Scorpius angrily.

"Oh, my!" said Holly rather airily. "I do apologize – here…" She made a gesture with her hand.

"You can sign?" said Micky, surprised.

"My whole family can," said Holly, smiling sadly. "My – my brother, you see, he was deaf…"

"Was?" asked Scorpius. "What, did you cure him, or something.?"

All the people in the cramped compartment went very quiet. Micky, Vincent, and Scorpius looked from side to side in total confusion until Rose decided to break the silence.

"Eldon was murdered last year."

Scorpius blinked. Micky let out a tiny "Oh!" and Vincent bowed his head.

Rose stood. "I'm leaving." And she turned and ran out without even grabbing her bags.

"Murdered?" whispered Scorpius. "I – I had no idea…"

Holly shook her head. "Oh, no," she said quickly. "Eldon wasn't murdered! He was just…um…" Tears swam in her eyes as she turned sharply on her heel and ran after her friend calling, "Rose, wait!"

"Oh, good job," said Al angrily. "Now we've got two crying women thanks to you!"

"What did I do?" shrieked the blonde boy.

Al rolled his eyes and also left after the two girls, sighing.

James blinked at his sudden realization that he was alone with three strangers. "Looks like I'm next, then," he said, throwing a wink at Myckayla before he left. "I'll see you later, beautiful."

The rest of the train ride passed in silence. All three children were too deep in thought to say – or sign – anything. Once it began to get dark outside, James came back to get his cousin's robes (and steal another glance of Myckayla.) Then he left again, and soon they were on the platform.

Scorpius followed the loud calls of "Firs' years, over here! Firs' years, hurry up now, yeh do'n want ter be late ter the feast, now, would yeh?"

Scorpius had looked forward to this traditional trip across the lake, and despite himself, his eyes searched for Rose.

_Stupid, bloody, insufferable git. Scorpius Malfoy, you are much more than that._

"I'm not getting in!" shrieked Rose, pointing a shaking finger to the first of the very unstable-looking boats.

Hagrid scratched the top of his large, graying head. "Yeh do'n, now? Are yeh sure?"

"Hagrid," said Al quietly, putting a hand on his cousin's back, "She's afraid of water."

Understanding washed over his face as he said, "I see. Well, yeh can go up ter James and ride in the carriages with him, I s'ppose."

Rose nodded. "Thank you," she muttered to Al before heading back up the lane. It didn't take too long to find James, considering he was drawing attention to himself rather loudly. When he spotted her, he sighed.

"Still?"

Rose nodded.

"You're going to miss out," he said.

She shook her head.

Scorpius was passing the carriages then on his way to the boats with Vincent and Micky flanking him on either side. As he passed the last row, he swore he heard a Potter's voice saying, "Rose, when are you going to realize that it wasn't your fault?"

He turned to see, but only a faceless mass of people met his eyes.

The boat ride was…eventful. Vincent nearly fell in, but a very large tentacle caught him and tossed him all the way to the shore where he sat and waited for his friends – miraculously – unhurt. Then a middle-aged man who declared himself to be Professor Polyphemus led them to a small room just outside of the chatter and noise that Scorpius supposed to be the great hall.

He was looking, and looking, and then suddenly she appeared. Rose Weasley. Just by the door, almost as if she'd slipped in when no one was looking. But soon, he was standing in front of a huge hall with all the Hogwarts students gazing upon the first years with confidence.

Professor Polyphemus brought out a stool with an old, tattered hat on it, and everyone held their breath, as if expecting something. Suddenly, the hat burst into song.

"_Listen, children, and well hear tell_

_Of a tail of bravery, cunning, and courage as well._

_For once there were four_

_And there really still are_

_But, Merlin, they're still up and running as Hell!_

_Forgive and forget, were the words that I spoke_

_Eighteen years to this day_

_And the feast bread was broke._

_True and sincere, not all rivalry has vanished_

_But still, it's enough, to know that our students aren't famished._

_Now at the dawn of a brand-new age_

_Another tail of destiny will unfold!_

_Please, turn the page!_

_For whether or not things will go as we wished them_

_The critical details, children have missed them._

_But enough of me, now!_

_With my ramblings and my songs_

_For it's already begun_

_And none can stop it now!_

The hall burst into cheer as the hat grew silent. The sorting began. Scorpius paid no attention until Vincent's name was called. The hat sat on his head for a short amount of time before screaming "SLYTHERIN!"

Then before he knew it, he was sitting on the stool and the hat was being shoved onto his head.

_And here he is now, _said a sly voice in his ear. _Another Malfoy…I had the great pleasure of sorting your father, in case you didn't know…and his lover…and your mother. My goodness, have I made a rhyme?_

What the heck was up with this hat?

_Oh, everything is up with _me…_So I'll cut to the chase. Destiny. Yours. Your father had a very good definition of destiny…although most of his was rather sad. However, although yours is beginning, _theirs _has not yet ended… I'll give you a choice. You or her. And hurry up, will you, people are starting to stare._

Scorpius had no idea what was going on. He couldn't think. Soon, the hat-voice sighed.

_I suppose you choose her, then. Well, I should have expected it. After all you are a Malfoy, and they have always been in _"SLYTHERIN!"

He took off the hat and stared at it for a moment before heading over to his new house table. Did the hat always mess with people's minds like that?

Soon after him, Albus Potter was sorted into Gryffindor, as he had expected. He saw the notable look of relief swim across the Potter boy's face as he sat down next to his brother.

The two twin boys, Holly's brothers, were both sorted into Ravenclaw, and their sister invited them graciously to the table. Soon there were only two people left. Rose and Myckayla.

Rose went first. Scorpius held his breath for no reason at all. He assumed he was bored. Then he began to turn blue from all the air he lost. So he let it out, and started over. After about five minutes, he began to notice something was wrong.

No one had taken this long before. Not even he had. People all over the hall began to whisper to each other. Scorpius noticed that Rose was gripping the sides of the stool so hard that her knuckles had turned white. Suddenly, she jumped to her feet and screamed "NO!" just as the Hat let out a long, gleeful, and horribly evil sounding "SLYTHERIN!"

**I am a horribly person. But now that school has been in session for a while, I can update once a week, like I promised… (Three months ago… He he?)**

**Review if you get the chance or you feel so inclined!**

**LOVE YOU ALL! (In a non-creepy way, of course)**

**Panneler-san**


	3. Firewhiskey and Quintin Black

**Okay, it was two, three weeks? Better than four months, right? I'm getting better, aren't I?**

**DON'T JUDGE ME! Lol, Pan-tan no owney Harry Potty**

**Tell me if you like first or third person more.**

Firewhiskey and Quintin Black

I didn't really mind, to tell the truth. Sure, I was a little annoyed, slightly astounded, and very much baffled, but I didn't really mind all that much. I'd always assumed that my darling little cousin would be in Gryffindor with me. I knew Al would be. It was blooming obvious. But to have Aunt 'Mione and Uncle Ron's precious daughter suddenly cast into the fiery jaws of hell itself?

Well, not really Hell. Just Slytherin. Wasn't it one in the same? Only on Tuesdays. Did I mention that it's every other Tuesday? Every other month? Except on leap year, when it's every Wednesday and Friday. Oh, and every three Easters.

"James?" said Al. I turned to look at my little brother as he spoke. "Aren't you mad?"

I chuckled. "Little brother, did I ever tell you that the house hating ended nearly eighteen years ago when dad killed that wizard?"

"His name was Voldemort."

"Oh, look, you've made the Longbottom twins twitch. Please be more careful when using that word."

"You're the one who couldn't remember his name."

"I'm not mad."

"Really?"

"Of course! Do I ever lie?"

"Frequently."

"Shut up. Anyway, I only despise one Slytherin, and it is most certainly not our dear cousin."

"Elvin Kingsley?"

"No, Elvis Presley."

"Who?"

"I'll tell you when you're older. Yes, it's Elvin Kingsley."

"Why do you hate him?"

"He's a prat. Now eat your potatoes."

Ah, I love my younger brother's adorable little pouting face. Except for when I'm mad at him. But that only happens every now and then. Once in a blue moon. Was the moon ever blue? I know that mum used to tell me it was made of cheese, but that was just because I was young and naïve. Ah, my innocent younger days. I was no longer very innocent, actually. Ever since I entered Hogwarts I'd been a big trouble maker. McGonagall was always telling me how much I acted like my grand dad. Speaking of Missy, how old was that woman, anyway? She had to be nearly three hundred years old, at least. It took some hard living to make wrinkles like those, that was for damn bloody sure…

"Potter, could you pass the pudding?" came the voice of a lovely angel.

I grabbed the bucket bearing the goods, put on my loveliest smile, and handed them to the goddess sitting diagonally from me. "Here you are, Myckayla, my darling. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Micky smirked at me and shook her head.

Ah, I was in heaven when she'd been sorted into Gryffindor. I'll admit it; I was very upset when Rose got into Slytherin. Very bloody much. But everything had been made right again when my Angel came to my side. I hadn't missed the look of shock and horror on Mr. Malfoy's face when the hat screamed "GRYFFINDOR!"

I noticed everyone was staring at me. Al leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Are you really that excited to be back at school?"

Had I screamed out loud?

Oops.

A.U.D.

_My. Life. Is. Over._

Quite literally. Dad'll kill me when he hears about this. And mum…What am I going to do about my mum?

I'm not stupid; I've noticed something isn't quite right with her. I've seen the healers coming to our house late at night when she thinks Hugo and I are in bed. I've heard mum talking in her sleep. As much as I try to forget the words she says, I just can't.

_You are going to die._

The first time I'd heard her say that, I didn't know what to think…

Suddenly, everyone around me stood up. I was confused for a moment, before I saw Scorpius and Vincent waiting for me several feet away. "Let's go," the former said.

I stood and followed them, trailing a few meters behind, dragging my feet in emotionless misery. Scorpius noticed this, and whispered something into Vincent's ear, who nodded and sped up, leaving us alone at the end of the line. He slowed down. I did too. Eventually he stopped completely and waited for me to catch up, aware that I knew he was trying to walk with me. We did walk, slowly and in silence for several minutes, until the other Slytherins had vanished from our sight.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly.

I peeked at him from the corner of my eye and looked quickly back at the ground. "For what?" I asked.

"Everything I've done to you since we met five hours ago. I didn't mean to make you upset. Mum's always saying I'm usually like her, but some times I can really act like my dad. I didn't mean to be cold. And…you don't look happy to be in Slytherin. I'm sorry about that, too."

As if to prove himself truthful, his warm fingers brushed against my hand once, twice, then grabbed it and squeezed before letting go. I was shocked at this incredibly sweet action. Had my first impression of him been wrong? I glanced up at him again to see him stealing a glance at me. We caught each other, and I couldn't help but laugh.

Scorpius laughed with me, and we continued to laugh for several minutes before I realized it hadn't really been that funny. So I settled for grinning.

"Let's not be enemies, alright?" said Scorpius. "I can guarantee you that we won't always get along. No one does. But let's be friends. With a couple of good mates by your side like Vincent and me, I'm sure you won't be disappointed in Slytherin by the end of the term."

"Really?" I asked breathlessly.

He beamed, lighting up his whole face and nodded.

Sometime after that, the other Slytherin first-years came into view, and Vincent appeared next to me. We were let inside the common room, which was simply _titanic_, and covered in lovely shades of green and silver. There was a roaring fire that felt warm from far away, but was actually very cold once I had the chance to get close to it. The fifth-year boy directed the other girl to the left and the boys to the right. I waved at Vincent and smiled at Scorpius then disappeared into my dormitory.

I found my red trunk in front of a comfortable-looking four poster and fished around in it for my pajamas as two other girls entered the room. They were very friendly, and spoke the moment I closed my trunk, pajamas in hand.

"The name's Sofia Weisberg," said a girl with hair every bit as red as mine, but locked in tight curls, accented by glowing, blue eyes.

I shook her long, bony hand as the second girl introduced herself.

"Hiroko Creenan. I do not speet good Engrish," she apologized.

I almost blushed, she was so cute. I smiled as I took her hand and shook it gently. "Rose Weasley."

I instantly liked these girls. We talked about nothing and everything far into the night, until I suggested, yawning, that we get some sleep. We did have classes in the morning, after all.

I fell asleep, smiling to myself. Maybe being in Slytherin wasn't going to be as bad as I thought it would. I just really hoped that Mum and Dad wouldn't be too angry.

A.U.D.

When I read Rose's first letter home, I nearly passed out.

_Mum, Dad, this may come as a shock to you, but I've been sorted into…_

I stopped reading, already knowing what the rest of the letter would say. I didn't know what to do; it was still early. I had woken up early to wait for her letter. My daughter was like me. She would get up at the crack of dawn, brush her teeth, and ask for directions from the ghosts until she found the owlery and sent a letter. Ron didn't know this about her. He knew that she was about as crazy for books as I had been in first year (and all throughout my life). Yet not about this.

After all, she was my daughter.

I left the letter on the small coffee table next to my reading glasses and grabbed my jacket, not sure where I was going. All the while I walked past the doorway, down the steps, through Godric's Hollow, and past the house where Harry, Ginny, and Lily were peacefully sleeping, the voice in my head screamed at me.

It was the same voice as it had always been, saying the same thing as it always had. I hadn't expected any different. I walked out of the village and into the small shopping district that had been built there several years after the war. It was about a twenty minute walk away from my house. When I got there, I went straight to the building that was half-hidden between two large bookstores. The door barely just showed, and was easily missed if no one was looking for it.

I went inside. The sound of soft, Muggle rock met my ears at the same time as old, flickering lights. What eighteen years had done to this place. I would have smiled at the memory of myself getting drunk for the first time here had I not been in the mood to jump off a cliff.

"Mrs. Weasley," said the lady behind the counter, nodding and smiling warmly at me. "I'll go get Chip to mix you something up, if you'll wait just a moment."

"Thank you, Bertha," I whispered. She vanished beyond the wooden door at the end of the bar, leaving behind the dirty cloth she had been using to wipe the counter. My nose wrinkled at the smell of vinegar and lemon.

Several seconds later, the door swung open again to reveal a tall man with a red bandana tied around his head and a black goatee hanging carelessly from his chin. "Morning, Weasley," he said cheerfully. "What can I get for you this morning?"

"Anything." I said quietly.

I pretended not to notice the crease that appeared between his eyebrows at my tone, but watched as he reached around the bar and grabbed different things. I closed my eyes and put my fingers gingerly against my temples, savoring the distant, chiming sound of clinking glass.

"Here you are," he said.

I opened my eyes and grabbed the glass in front of me, briefly examining its contents before taking a sip. I put the glass back down on the wood a little harder than I had intended. "Not this," I said. "Stronger."

Chip sighed. "Hermione," he said quietly. "Your Healer said you're not allowed to drink. Orange juice and milk is all I'm giving you."

"Chip," I said in a strangled voice, "Chip, please, I…This is the last time, I promise you!"

He shook his head. "I'm not going to be the reason you start drinking again."

"But I won't!" I said. "I swear, this is the only time. I _need_ it." He frowned in distress. "Please."

"Fine. But if you ever come in again wanting anything more than juice, I'm telling Ron, okay?" he said.

I smiled. "Thank you."

He took back the glass and began making something else. The door opened. "Good morning!" he called to the new customer.

"Morning," replied the voice softly.

I froze. I knew that voice. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, I turned to see Draco Malfoy staring me straight in the face. I clenched my teeth so my jaw wouldn't drop. He must have done the same.

"And what'll it be for you today, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Chip.

"The usual," he said. His eyes never left my face. "Make it strong, today."

Chip mumbled something that sounded oddly like, "You too, huh? Merlin, these British wizards, I swear…"

Much to my surprise, he sat next to me. I didn't know what to do, what to say. Chip said it for me. "Here we are," he said setting two glasses in front of us. "A Quintin Black and Firewhiskey. Drink up."

I grabbed the glass with both hands and raised it to my lips, shuddering as the alcohol burned down my throat and rested in my stomach. Draco took a small sip of his and watched Chip's retreating back as he walked back through the door.

"Are you drinking again?" he asked suddenly.

I nearly spit my drink all over the counter. "What?"

"Are you drinking again?"

"N-no. This is just…much needed."

"I see."

"What about you?"

"I needed a pick-me-up," he explained.

He sipped his drink, and I took another large swig, wincing as it tore down my throat.

"I heard about Rose," he whispered.

I put my glass down on the wood.

"Scorpius told me. He's in Slytherin, too."

I grasped one on my hands with the other and then brought the fist up to my mouth, my elbows resting on the table.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?" I asked quietly.

"I know you don't want to talk about it. Was Weasley angry when he found out?"

I shook my head. "He hasn't seen the letter, yet. He probably hasn't even woken up yet."

"I'm not sure why you're so upset that you'd drink over it," he said. "After all, it isn't as if you…"

I frowned as he quieted down. "Isn't as if I what?" I said.

He shook his head. "Nothing. Forget it."

"You're just as cryptic as ever!" I hissed. "You never say what's in your head, do you?"

"There's no need to get angry, Granger!" he said.

Too late did he realize his mistake.

I bit my lip so hard it bled. "I am a Weasley." I said quietly.

"It's just what I'm used to," he explained hurriedly. "It's from when we were kids… Let it go."

"When you can't?" I asked.

He paled. "You can't know," he whispered.

I laughed at this. "I can't know! Even I'm not that stupid. I was the smartest witch of our age – still am, actually. No one has beaten my test scores yet. Besides, I didn't need your soft looks and occasional slip of the tongue to know I wasn't going crazy, Draco Malfoy. I remember everything."

I walked out of the bar, forgetting about my plans to guilt Chip into letting me get drunk and then facing Ron later with the news when I wasn't sober enough to care how upset he was. I even forgot about the burning in my throat as my eyes began to burn with tears instead.

A.U.D.

I sighed once the initial shock of Hermione's words left me. I glanced down at her half-empty glass of Firewhiskey and noticed the absence of any money. I reached into my pocket for four Sickles and three Knuts.

"Forgot to pay…" I mumbled. "She hasn't changed at all, has she?"

**Yay for semi-longer chapter! I hope it was satisfactory. Please tell me if you like first or third person better. Love you ALL!**

**Pan-tan**


	4. Fascination

**(Sigh) I'll try get better at this updating thing.**

**WARNING YOU NOW there is a time skip in this chapter. Yes, a semi-large time skip, too. I hope that none of you feel cheated that you didn't get to witness all of Rose and Scorpius's first and second years at Hogwarts, but it had to be done!**

**I don't own Harry Potter**

…

**Yet :P**

Fascination

It was morning, I could tell. I'd been awake for a few hours, but had gone back to the comfort of my bed after mailing the letter with the dreaded news. Would Dad be angry with me? What about Mum?

Just a few moments after my realization that it was morning, I heard a creaking noise next to me as Hiroko got out of bed and quietly closed the bathroom door. I sighed gently and decided to get dressed. There was no point in me waiting here, anyway.

As soon as I had all the right clothes on the right body parts, Hiroko came out of the bathroom and smiled gently at me. "Goot morring," she said without ease.

I smiled back. "Morning, Hiroko."

Sofia stirred in her four-poster and mumbled something about noisy dorm mates before turning on her side, facing the wall.

"Want to go down to breakfast with me?" I whispered.

Hiroko nodded. "What about Soppi-san?" she asked.

I stifled a laugh. "I'm sure she can handle herself. Besides, classes don't start for a while yet, and we're up. Why don't we go eat before the whole Castle eats all the food?"

She smiled and followed me to the staircase. We got lost seven times on our way to the Great Hall. My memory was usually in good condition when it came to directions, but this place was just so huge. Eventually, we found it and joined the two other Slytherins at the table. They were early birds, like me, and after some conversation, both the fourth years admitted to getting up this early every morning.

The tables were already piled high with food, but it seemed as if the kitchen Elves that James had told me about wouldn't be satisfied until there wasn't a spot of wood left. Every few seconds, an Elf holding a tray of sausages or kippers would appear out of thin air and place it down on one of the four tables.

Soon, more students came in, and the Elves vanished completely. I glanced over at Hiroko's plate of food. Not even half the space had been taken up on it. I turned my grimace to my own plate, which was heaping with third helpings of fried eggs and bacon.

I cursed my father for my dreadful eating habits.

Eventually the hall was full. I spotted my cousins across the room and waved to them. James readily waved back, but Albus seemed to hesitate slightly before reluctantly and half-heartedly raising his hand. Sofia and Scorpius joined the table at the same time, just as Professor Polyphemus began passing out schedules.

"We're gonna be late!" shrieked Sofia, shoving the kippers serving fork into her mouth.

"I can't believe I slept in!" said Scorpius, pouring himself a cup of lukewarm coffee.

"And here they are," I said. "Have a good nap?"

Sofia sent me a death glare that made me regret not waking her up. Scorpius just rolled his eyes and snorted into his coffee. I took my schedule from Professor Polyphemus and gave it a once over.

Transfiguration, Advanced Potions, Defense against the Dark Arts, Flying, Advanced Herbology, Charms, History of Magic, and Advanced Astronomy… They were all there. I sighed lightly at the thought of such a huge workload.

"Bloody Merlin," exclaimed Scorpius, his head bent over my shoulder. "You're taking three advanced classes? I could only get into one!"

I smirked up at him. "And that would be?"

"Flying," He grinned. "Seems I've got my dad's talent for it, after all."

"Yes, and I got my mother's unbelievably large brain," I complained.

The toast in Sofia's hand vanished along with all the rest of the food on the tables. She complained loudly about letting her at least finish the last kipper before giving up on the lost cause. Scorpius watched the amusing display along with me, then he, Sofia, Hiroko, and Vincent (who appeared out of nowhere) searched for the Transfiguration classroom.

"You know," said Scorpius as an after thought as we took our seats, "I think it's Vincent's birthday, today."

Maybe later we would celebrate.

A.U.D

Ron blinked.

I bit my lip. Inside my head, the voice was screaming. The never-ending laughing continued. "R-Ron?" I asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

Gently, he put the letter in his hands onto the coffee table and sighed. "I'm fine," he said.

I almost swore, I was so surprised. "You're not angry?" I asked.

He smiled. "I'm not angry," he said. "How could I be? Rose is still my daughter, no matter if she's a Gryffindor, a Slytherin, or even a Hufflepuff." Despite his kind words, he shuddered at the thought. "It'll take some getting used to, though," he admitted, pulling me into his arms.

I sighed. "Thank goodness," I mumbled.

Ron leaned forward and kissed me lightly. Then he froze. "Hermione," he whispered.

I jerked away from him, throwing my fingers upward to cover my lips.

"You've been drinking."

It wasn't even a question. I felt so ashamed. "I-I was scared that you'd be angry, Ron," I whispered. "I couldn't help myself – I'm sorry."

His eyes burned into my own for several seconds before he took me in his arms again and kissed me. "I'm not mad, love," he said. "Just… don't be so quick to go to Chip's again. Please. You can talk to me, okay? Whatever secretes you're hiding, whether it's more Firewhiskey or, I dunno, a murder, you can tell me. I won't be mad, no matter what secrets you have."

I looked away in guilt. There was something I was hiding from him, the man I loved, that I could never tell him. And there were good reasons why.

Ron continued. "You fascinate me," he whispered, his fingers tracing lightly up and down my jaw. "With all your perfection, all your imperfection…I'm spell bound."

I looked desperately into his eyes, begging him to forgive me for something that both had and had not happened. When he said nothing but looked into my eyes with that deep, longing expression I'd seen him use so often over the past eighteen years, I melted into his embrace. "I love you, Ron." I said.

He smiled at me and pulled me into his arms again, but he didn't return my words. This man was my husband, I thought. I loved him with all my heart. There was a part of me that would always belong to him, no matter what happened. But, there was also a small, closed off space in the deepest chambers of my being that could only be occupied by Draco Malfoy.

There would not be a repeat performance of this morning, ever again. I would make sure of it.

Two Years Later

"Rose!"

I sighed. "Only the first day back and already lost your homework, Sofi?" I said.

Sofia's semi-plump face came flying into view from behind a tall, fifth-year Slytherin boy. Her hair was ruffled and windswept, as if she'd just gotten off a broom. "You have to help me, Rose!" she begged. "I completely forgot that it's Vincent's birthday! What did you get him?"

I tisked twice and wagged my finger in a chiding manner. "You're not copying off of me like you did last year, Sofi."

"I just need an idea!" she wailed. "Please, anything, just – HIROKO CREENAN! I SEE YOU HOLDING THAT PACKAGE! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!"

The slender girl squeaked and dashed out of sight, Sofia hot on her tail. I shook my head. "Poor girl."

"Rose!" called Al.

I beamed and swung around to see my cousin coming down the marble staircase, his boyish face twisted into an expression of pure terror. "What's wrong, Al?"

"Hide me!" he begged. "James found the frog I slipped into his Pumpkin juice this morning, and he swore he wouldn't rest until he found me!"

I rolled my eyes and asked, "Have you seen Holly?"

He shook his head. "No, I haven't, why – oh, no, here he comes!"

Al was gone faster than I could blink, and James flew past in a blur, screaming over his shoulder, "Morning, Rose!"

I chuckled and waved at him as he vanished around the corner. A flash of blonde hit my eye. I turned. "Scorpius!"

The thirteen year-old paused, locked eyes with me, and back tracked so that we walked side by side, he matching my pace. In his hands he was twisting the Daily Prophet. "Lovely to see you this morning," he said.

"You as well," I said. "Hey, what'd you get for Vincent?"

"A couple of rare Quidditch Cards." He shrugged. "No biggie."

"I got him a box of Cauldron Cakes."

His eyebrow rose. "Good choice."

"It seemed logical," I said, "Seeing as he's always shoving them into his face at Christmas."

"What class do you have first, today?" he asked.

"Study Hall," I replied. "Professor Polyphemus said that McGonagall was nice enough to let me take all those classes, but since she retired last year, the school is under his rule. He's afraid that I'll collapse, taking all these courses."

"Trying to live in your mum's footsteps, huh?" he joked.

I smiled wearily. "Not exactly."

Scorpius held up the paper in his hands, pausing to lean against the stone wall. "Take a look at this," he said, motioning for me to join him against the wall.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Rumors," he said. "But there are a lot of people that aren't taking this as a joke." He cleared his throat and read me the title on the front page. " 'Remaining Death Eaters Spotted – Hideout Discovered after Twenty-One Years?' "

I frowned. "I didn't know there were any Death Eaters left."

"Neither did I," he admitted. "Neither did my dad. And he used to be one, too."

"I didn't know that."

"Not many do." He looked up at the ceiling. "Most of our parent's generation tries to keep hush-hush about what side everyone was on. Well, except for your parents, of course."

"That war happened while my mum and dad were still at school," I said. "I can't believe that after two decades, there are still some Death Eaters out there."

"My granddad is still alive," he said casually, shrugging one shoulder. "He was one, too."

I thought for a moment, and then laughed. "I don't think I have any Death Eaters in my family," I said.

Scorpius grinned. "You never know," he said. "There must have been some reason as to why you've been in Slytherin all these years."

My smile faltered slightly as I remembered the night I had gotten my first letter from home.

_I can hardly believe it happened to my daughter. I'm proud to have you in Slytherin, but don't tell your mother I said that._

"Yes, there has to be a reason," I agreed.

And there better have been a darn good one, too.


	5. Darker

**I do not own Harry Potter, any of the characters, settings, places, products, or movies. And if you haven't seen the movie yet: WATCH. IT. NOW.**

Darker

_A cave was before her. It was huge, and the interior was dark as night. She heard a noise. Scared, she whipped her wand out of her pocket, only to have it slip from her trembling fingers and away from her. She backed up against the wall of the cave. A pair of red eyes appeared before her. She shrieked, and ran as fast as she could away from them._

_Where was Harry and Ron? Dumbledore? Luna, Neville, and Ginny?_

_She ran blindly for as long as she could. She stopped, panting. After catching her breath, she looked up to see a huge, black lake before her. She could see a tiny light ahead in the water, and realized it was wand light. She saw the faces of Harry, Ginny, and Luna._

_She opened her mouth to call out to them, when a high, cold voice said calmly behind her, "Crucio!"_

_She screamed as the pain overcame her. She was on the rocky floor of the cave, withering and twisting in agony. She could hear the shouts of the three before her, calling her name, but only one voice was heard._

_It was like the one that had cursed her, high, cold, and unfeeling. It whispered in her ear, "I fail to see how you can be of use to me anymore."_

_Another spell hit her in the back with just enough force to push her off the rock and plunge into the deep, black water._

_She watched in horror as cold, dead white hands reached up to her, grabbing her robes and pulling her slowly deeper into the water where she would die._

I didn't scream when I opened my eyes. I was too scared to. Too terrified. The fear was suffocating. Slowly, in the dark twilight, I sat up in my bed. My hands were shaking. Where had that come from? A vision? It was my mother, I was certain of it. I knew her. I saw her reflection in the water she had fallen into. But she was so young. Older than I was at the moment.

But not by much.

And that man. The red eyes, the snakelike face, all of it seemed so familiar. I felt a deep connection to the man, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Who was he? What was he? What was this vision and this voice in my mind?

_You are going to die._

I froze. I had imagined it. I knew I had. It wasn't real, just a remnant of the dream. I sat there, listening into the dark and the silence for the voice.

It came.

_I can't lose him!_

I blinked into my confusion. It wasn't the same as before. It was a female voice, of a teenager. But who? I listened closer, deeper, closing my eyes to absorb the sounds.

But nothing came.

Not even a whisper.

So I ignored it. It was a nightmare. And things that weren't real had no affect over me. I made my way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, early as usual, and joined the early birds for studying and eating. Professor Polyphemus handed me my schedule once I stepped through the doors. I glanced over it and nodded in approval.

As ritual, Hiroko joined me shortly after I sat down, and about thirty minutes later Scorpius and Sofia came bursting through the doors screaming that they were going to be late.

"Your schedule, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weisberg," said Polyphemus, adjusting the eye patch on the left side of his face. "I trust you two will not be late to my class once again?"

"No, Sir," said Sofi, grabbing her kippers and toast once again as Scorpius started chugging coffee straight from the jug.

"Amazing," I said. "I've never seen two mammals eat a meal with such vigor."

Hiroko laughed and said, "Yeah, that's for sure."

I smiled in delight at her nicely developing English accent. I was proud of my accomplishments regarding Hiroko's trouble with the language.

As soon as Scorpius finished his drink, Vincent appeared out of nowhere, waving his arms and fingers a mile a minute.

"The coffee is gone," said Scorpius sheepishly. "Sorry, Vincent."

"Here," I said, handing him a cup. "This Pumpkin juice will do the exact same thing. Don't complain! You two are getting addicted, I swear. Finish that and then its time to go to class. We have to study hard this year, you know!"

Sofi groaned and Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Rose," he sighed, "We had to study hard last year. When do we ever get a break?"

"When we die," I said. Vincent motioned to me that he was done, and then the toast vanished out of Sofi's hand.

"Why do I never get to finish?" she shrieked as we maneuvered out of the Great Hall and into the corridors.

It was still warm outside, so we spent our free time by the lake where the giant squid splashed water onto us. At one point, Myckayla came to visit us, James and Al on her tail, and ended up pushing the brothers into the lake.

"She won't stop laughing," said Scorpius.

"Shut up, Rose," mumbled Albus, wringing his robes out.

I gasped for air on the grass and burst out into another bout of laughter.

"It's kinda cute," said Micky, smiling.

"I'll tell you what else is cute…" James mumbled under his breath.

It was around dinner time that Scorpius showed me the Daily Prophet. "Rose, take a look at this," he said quietly, turning me away from my conversation with Hiroko.

"What is it?"

"It's another article on remaining Death Eaters," he said. "This is the third one since the summer…"

"Can I read?" I asked, holding out my hand.

As subtle as it was, I noticed his hesitation before he handed it to me. He was reluctant. But why…?

My eyes widened as I read the short paragraph. "Bellatrix Lestrange?"

He nodded. "She's my dad's aunt," he said.

"She was supposed to have died during the battle of Hogwarts!" I cried.

"That's the thing that makes no sense," he said. "She did."

"How could she have been spotted, then?"

"I dunno," he admitted. "Either she managed to escape alive somehow, her ghost is wandering the countryside, or…"

I blinked. "Or what?"

He leaned across the table, closer to my ear and gave a quick glance around before he whispered, "Or she's come back to life."

"Impossible." I leaned back immediately. "Completely impossible. Who would want to bring her back to life?"

"Rose," he said, "I don't think it's a question of _who_, but _why_. And if she truly is alive again, who else do you think they could bring back?"

A.U.D

"Mrs. Weasley?"

She kept her eyes shut as tight as possible.

"Mrs. Weasley, I understand your concern…"

The voice faded in and out of her consciousness.

"…never could understand…needn't be afraid…listening to me, Mrs. Weasley?"

She bit her lip and nodded once.

"I'm almost done with today's treatment," said the Healer slowly. "Open your eyes, please."

She complied. Patricia's long face, slowly growing darker with age, graced her sight.

"Are you sure you're fine?" she asked. "I can call Mr. Weasley if you-"

"No!" she snapped quickly. "I-I mean… That's not necessary. He's on a trip, we best not disturb him."

"Mrs. Weasley," she said slowly, "Do you understand just what kind of position you are in right now? You say that the dreams have stopped. You told me nearly three years ago that the voices have stopped. Are you lying to me?"

He bottom lip trembled. At a loss for words, she shook her head.

Patricia sighed. "Your Son," she whispered, "Isn't he starting Hogwarts this year?"

She gulped and forced words out of her mouth. "H-he took ill just a few days ago… He's going to go once he gets better."

She made a content _Hnn._ noise and leaned back. "Poor dear. He so looked forward to going with his sister. Do you think he'll be another Slytherin?"

She wouldn't have answered at that moment, even if the doorbell hadn't rung. "I'll get it," she volunteered, jumping up from the couch and calling back over her shoulder, "There's tea on the stove if you want some."

She reached for the door handle.

It opened before she could touch it.

"You-!" She squawked in surprise as the intruder grabbed her wrist and yanked her out of the door.

They ran – it had been years since she had run like this. So long, she noted hazily. She didn't stop to register their surroundings once they finally stopped. She wasn't even winded, but the other party seemed to not have a breath left in him.

"Well?" she asked, leaning against something cool to the touch. "I haven't talked to you in two years. Don't you think this juvenile behavior is completely unprofessional? What could you possibly mean by kidnapping me from my house, Draco Malfoy?"

"We have to talk," he gasped. "Hermione, I've tried to ignore it. I thought after we ran into each other last that I could put it off, that it didn't matter, but…"

Suddenly she sensed his discomfort. His quaking anger. The stench of fear. "What is it?" she pressed.

Without pausing, he took several steps closer to her and rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. "It has something to do with us," he explained, his voice shaking for control of his emotion. "I know it has." He displayed his left arm to her, knowing the expression on her face meant that she was far too petrified to even draw breath.

"No," she whispered. "It can't be,"

Draco glanced down at the mark on his arm and winced with the sharp pain it brought. "It's getting darker," he whispered. "After twenty-one years, the Dark Mark is coming alive again."

And they both knew it had a lot to do with them.

**Three reviews? Pathetic. Lol, I don't really mind, so long as you keep reading! TRUST ME, it WILL be worth it. Live long and prosper, my dear pretties!**

**Pan-tan**


	6. The Lost Dimension

**Geez, I take way to long to update. Chapter dedicated to To the Perfection for getting me off my arse and continuing this story.**

**I own no Harry Potter anything (copyright wise, anyway).**

The Lost Dimension

"What do we do?" Hermione whispered into the nothingness above her head.

"I don't know," admitted Draco. "We have to do something. We need to find out where we went wrong. When did this start?"

She almost laughed. "Shouldn't you be telling me? You're the one with the mark-"

"No, Hermione. _All_ of this."

She knew what he meant. She avoided it, but she knew she had to tell him. "Thinking about the past," she whispered, "_Our_ past, is …painful."

"When did this start?" he repeated.

"The Quidditch tryouts in sixth year," she said. "In the first dimension."

"First dimension," he muttered. "Sometimes I try to forget that there was ever more than one. Our dimension. Our past that never even happened. Not in this world, anyway."

"It was Professor Snape that made me remember," she said. "Well, he was the catalyst for it all. I remembered completely after the battle of Hogwarts."

"What altered the dimensions? What made our past now different from our true past?" he asked. "I could never figure it out."

"Because I decided to go to the tryouts," she said. "That was what changed everything."

"This isn't helping at all!" he snarled. "I can't think of anything that would bring him back! Not that we've done!"

"Have you forgotten?" she asked. "His entire life became centered around us. At first his goal was to use me to get to Harry. I can't even remember when it changed. But it did! In Hogwarts, he came after Ron and I, when he could have gone after Harry! He kept chasing me! Kept pushing me towards you. It was always us…"

A silence colder than the air greeted her words. Softly, Draco cleared his throat. "We haven't done anything. I'll be honest with you, Mrs. Weasley. My Ministry branch asked me to warn you and your family about the threat because of your role in the war. No one else is to know about this. Potter's family knows, too. You can't tell anyone else."

"Because we're war heroes? That's why we get to know? What, does the Ministry want us to fight again?"

"No," he said. "But I do. I'm supposed to investigate the threat. I need a partner. Mrs. Weasley, will you please help me?"

"They won't let me help you," she whispered, shaking her head. "I'm mentally unstable."

"We both know that's a load of bullocks," he said. "I'll be blunt – I need you to help me because of your mental record. Because of the voice in your head. I need you because _he's_ still in there."

They stared at each other, waiting. The sky had grown dark. Clouds covered the sun. Hermione Weasley sighed. "Give me a week. I'll think about it."

She couldn't tell if Draco was satisfied with her answer. His face remained blank. He nodded. "Alright. Please talk to your husband about it."

As suddenly as he arrived, he vanished.

Hermione sank to the floor and sobbed.

A.U.D

Ron watched his son sleep. Hugo was a tiny thing. It was heartbreaking to see the look on his face when he realized he wouldn't be going to Hogwarts for another few days. Until he got better, Ron wouldn't allow it.

The man truly loved his little family. The way he loved his son and daughter was different from the way he loved his wife. His beautiful, fascinating wife. Rom smiled at the memory of their first kiss.

Hermione was due home soon. She had left Patricia waiting downstairs. Right on cue, small, muffled voiced wafted up from the main floor. Ron's smile widened as he leaned over, kissed his sleeping son on the forehead, and quietly exited the room just as his wife began to make her way up the stairs.

"Hello, love," he muttered, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her gently on the lips.

Hermione lingered there for a moment, something she hardly ever did. "Ron," she whispered, "The Dark Mark is getting clearer."

He didn't flinch, she noticed, like he used to when they were still young. He had matured, even beyond his years since their adolescence. Ron closed his eyes. "Is it him…?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know," she said, resting her head against his chest. "Draco Malfoy wants me to help him gather clues. This is a threat we can't ignore."

Ron stiffened. "Hermione," he warned.

She hugged him tighter. "Please, Ron," she begged. "I'm the only one who can help him!"

A moment passed in total silence. Then Ron sighed. "I know I can't stop you once you get an idea in your head. Okay. Help him. But if he bullies you, tell me right away. I'll go down to his stupid little posh office and punch him in the mouth."

"…Thank you, Ron."

He turned his head back over his shoulder to glance at his son. Hugo stirred in his sleep. "Why don't you wake Hugo?" he asked. "His fever's gone down. We should send him to school tonight."

Hermione nodded. "Okay." They kissed again, this one longer than the pervious. It was little more than a brush of lips and mix of breath, but she couldn't help but feel it was the most intimate they had shared in a long time.

Ron chuckled, bringing them back to reality. "Hey, do you think we're going to have another slimy snake in the family?"

"Ron!"

"Can't help it if I want one of my children to be a Gryffindor!" he said. "Come on, I'm not calling Rose a snake, I'm just saying I thought we did a better job at raising her!"

"_Ron!_"

Hugo closed his peeping eye and pretended to sleep once again as his parents entered his room to wake him up. He refrained from grinning as he basked in the knowledge that for once, he would know something more than his sister.

A.U.D

Rose gazed thoughtfully at the door that led to the Restricted Section. The room was, as the name suggested, restricted, but she had a mission. And one that she intended to see through the end.

Making up her mind with a quiet sigh, Rose stepped forward, half expecting an alarm to go off and Filch to be breathing down her neck in seconds flat, but nothing of the sort occurred. Instead, all was quiet as she made her way through the dusty shelves.

Rose was searching for old Prophets. There had to be one or two about eradicating the Death Eaters after the battle of Hogwarts. Perhaps, she thought, they had missed a spot? Perhaps, she concluded, she wouldn't.

Soon the old news archives came into her view, she pulled a stack of thin, age-worn papers into her lap and waved her hand in front of her nose, scattering the dust particles into the empty space around her.

Casting _lumos _with her wand, the tiny corner she was in illuminated. Outside, the darkness of night threatened to overcome the library, but Rose sat and shuffled through the papers, completely unaware of the night.

A stray paper fluttered out of her grasp, and Rose bent over to retrieve it, but stopped dead when she read the title.

GRANGER AND POTTER

PARTNERS IN CRIME

The Quidditch team that cheats – Published by Draco Malfoy

_ She was panting, racing as fast as she could through the trees. The sound of the hundreds of legs following her grew louder and louder as they drew closer._

_A branch scrapped across her face, and she felt the blood gushing down her face. Jets of red and green light shot past her as she maneuvered through the trees, willing herself not to get hit. She only had a minute or two, at best. How could she possibly succeed?_

_The locket in her hand swung around wildly, and she had to grip it even tighter as to refrain from loosing it. Suddenly, she broke free of the trees. Taking a quick glance upward, she realized that the Castle was completely overcome with Death Eaters. She saw jets of light shooting past the windows, and as she looked even further up, she noticed the unmistakable sign._

_The Dark Mark hovered above the lightning-struck tower._

This time, Rose did scream. The image was so _vivid_! She could see _everything_, as if she had been there. Her heart had been pounding, as if she had been the one running. Her skin stung, as if she were the one being scraped and caught by thorns. She clamped her hand over her mouth to smother the scream.

_How…? Why?_

Why had this paper forced such a memory upon her? _Memory?_ It hadn't belonged to her. What was it? Why was this happening to her? Trembling inside, her eyes traveled back down to the page. Before she could read it, footsteps scurried in her direction. She stood and ran, the papers still in her arms, and a memory of dark times clouding her mind.

As she disappeared away from the library, a voice, cold and high, laughed at her. As if it knew she could never escape.

**Hm. Not sure what to think about this chapter. Well, blah. Please review! Critique is welcome! I love critique! (so long as you hit me with pillows instead of bricks.)**

**Panneler-san**


	7. Traitor

**Wow, this chapter was unexpected 0_o**

**Enjoy!**

**Harry isn't mine :P**

Traitor

"Wake up, sweetheart," said Hermione gently, placing her hand over her son's forehead to make sure his fever was gone.

Hugo stirred and groaned "Five more minutes…" under his breath.

Hermione and Ron exchanged glances, Ron's eyebrows raised a great deal. He nodded. Hermione sighed and held her wand out over his head. She murmured something and a very loud noise shrieked "COCK'A DOODLE DOO!"

Hugo jumped from the covers with a startled yelp. Ron started laughing. Hermione joined in. Their laughter only got louder when their eleven-year-old son said, "It's NOT funny!"

Hagrid met them at the Leaky Cauldron and they said goodbye, Hugo going one way, his parents going the other way. Hermione let out a sigh as the boy vanished with Hagrid.

"He'll be all right," said Ron, tenderly grabbing her hand. "Don't you remember? That's what Harry said about Albus and Rose. He'll be all right."

Hermione gulped, ignoring the laughter in her head.

"Are you worried?" he asked quietly.

They apparated with a crack and were back in the living room. For the first time in years the house was empty. Hermione went straight to the sofa and sank into it.

"I don't even know what I'm worried about," she admitted.

There was a small flash in Ron's eyes. "He might be our second Slytherin?"

If she had been holding something, she would have dropped it. "N-no, Ron, Stop it…"

He sat down next to her and his arms slithered around her shoulders. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know that makes you nervous. I still love Hugo and Rose equally, no matter what. They and you are my family."

She closed her eyes. "I'm going to see Draco Malfoy tomorrow," she whispered.

Ron dropped his arms. "Okay."

"I love you," she added quietly, for fear of betraying herself.

He smiled softly at her with the eyes that had grown much more serious over the years. "Mm," he hummed, nodding once.

His fingers pressed gently on the sore spot on her shoulders as he molded his lips to hers. Hermione closed her eyes and smiled a little. Then she moved against him, just a little, and their embrace changed completely.

She was on her back on the couch, he hovering over her, his green and silver tie from work dangling on top of her chest as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Ron let out a tiny sigh and kissed her again, on the cheek, chin, nose, jaw, neck, collarbone, and finally ending with a searing kiss on her lips.

Just when she began to think, _Ah. This is it. Ron is my husband, after all, _they slowed down, their breathing became shallow, and they ended up hugging tightly.

"I want you to be careful," he whispered. "Years of malicious intent don't just fade away because of work. Malfoy may insult you again, but don't listen to a word of it. Just me," he pleaded, pulling back to grasp both sides of her face in his soft hands. He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "You only need to listen to me."

"Yes."

Ron had changed so much since they were in school, and she believed it was a change for the better. Because of him, she, too, had changed. She too was kinder.

But she still felt as if years of happy marriage could be thrown down the drain for one more chance with the man she should never have touched.

A.U.D

He had been waiting for her, and she noticed it right away. September was already chilly, and his nose was pink from the cold. His hands were in his pockets, the black cloak he wore hugging tightly to his body.

He didn't notice her at first, and she allowed herself to smile at how much he had changed. "Do I know you?" she asked playfully.

His head floated up and their eyes met. The smile on her lips vanished because of the intensity of his serious gaze. "I certainly hope so," he said. In a moment he withdrew his left hand, reaching out for her. She stared at it, not knowing what he wanted her to do. "Come," he said, his hand warm and inviting.

She didn't stop to wonder why she took it.

"The remaining Death Eaters are gathering," he said as they walked up Godrics Hollow. "The Dark Lord was brought back to life once, and they think they can do it again."

"We burned his body," she said. "The only thing left of him are ashes and smoke, and the Order has those hidden away. They can't do anything."

"The Order," he spat bitterly, "is the bloody reason why they _can_. There's a traitor among us. I almost regret joining."

"A traitor?" she whispered.

"Two, actually," he growled. "We've caught one, but she refuses to tell us her accomplice. Seems that she doesn't even know, because Veritaserum wouldn't even give us a name."

"Not even Veritaserum worked?" Hermione gasped. "Who was the traitor?"

Draco's eyes hardened. "Astoria Malfoy."

She froze.

"My wife."

Holding his hand felt wrong, suddenly. No longer were his fingers warm but cold and frozen. Without meaning to, she slid her palm out of his. Despite her attempts to be discreet, he certainly noticed it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "That must have been a shock to you-"

He seized her hand once more without a sound, clasping it tightly and staring straight ahead with a determined look in his eyes. "She's been given the Dementors kiss. I don't know how to tell Scorpius."

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"I don't really mind."

Hermione was horrified. "How can you say that?" she hissed, trying to pull her hand away again. "She was your wife!"

"She didn't love me," he said loudly. "And I didn't love her. Our marriage was arranged by my family. Astoria was the mother of my son – that's all."

She shook her head. "That's sick," she murmured. "That's completely sick! How could you marry, live with, and have a child with someone you do not love?"

"I'd like to ask you the same question," he growled, stopping mid-stride, yanking her to a halt by their hands. "You had two, after all."

The sharp sound of Hermione's slap rang throughout Godrics Hollow like a gunshot. Slowly, Draco's free fingers gently touched the fast-forming bruise on his cheek as he glared icily at her.

Hermione was seething. "Ron," she hissed, "Is twice the man you are. And Ron is my husband and I love him and our children!"

"Then what about me?" he whispered.

She blinked. "What do you-"

"What about _me_?" he yelled. "You remember everything about us! With those memories of our past, was it really so easy to run off and marry someone else? You can't just tell me that I meant nothing to you!"

"It's over with, Malfoy!" she cried. "I've moved on! Merlin, if I knew it would be like this, I wouldn't have-"

"Wouldn't have what?" he asked. "Wouldn't have begged for me to remember when you brought me back? Did you do that to torture me, Hermione?"

"That's not it!"

"Oh, I'm sure!"

"I swear?"

"Then WHY?"

"Because I wanted you to come after me!"

He stared. A look of horror slowly dawned on Hermione's face as she realized that she had betrayed her biggest secret to him. Draco was immobilized, and she took the opportunity to slide her hand from his slack grasp. She brought the fist to her chest and rubbed it as if it had been burned with her other hand.

Draco gulped. "You," he whispered.

"I fell in love with you once," she said quietly. "I knew I could do it again. I wanted you to make me remember. But by the time I finally did remember, the war was over, I was Ron's girlfriend, and I couldn't…I _wouldn't_ hurt him."

There was a pause, then, "You love me."

She hung her head.

"You love me, not Weasley, but me. You…"

"No," she said. "I…I love both of you. But you have to realize, Draco, it's too late for you and I. We had our chance, and we missed it."

He moved as if she hadn't spoken. One hand was on her cheek. The other was warm and soft on top of her shoulder blade. He began to dip his head and she froze. His breath was warm on her lips. Their eyes locked. Their noses brushed. Their lips tangled.

All at once, everything was ruined.

_Cheating, Granger?_

She shoved him away harder than she had intended and his back hit the stone front of one of the garden walls. Without thinking she reached up to wipe her mouth with her sleeve. "I shouldn't have done that," she said.

"You're right," said Draco coldly. "You should have stopped me. Let's go – we have a meeting with Kingsley. He'll tell us where to start."

A.U.D

"Your dad was a git," Rose loudly informed Scorpius.

"Tell me something I don't know," he muttered and set down the coffee pot. "I get down for breakfast on time for once, and you greet me by insulting my father? More or less, what you're saying was true, but…"

She slid in across from him and shot Hiroko a glance that told her to leave them be. "I mean it, seriously, though," she said.

"Where were you last night?" he asked. "Vincent was kinda hoping that you would show up for his birthday, and you dropped him flat on his fat arse."

"Take a look at this," she said, ignoring his comment and shoving the old article under his nose.

"Partners in Crime?" he read. His frown steadily increased in vivacity as he read the page. "This is a load of bullocks," he said. "My dad hasn't ever told me about this before. Where did you get this, anyway?"

"Restricted Section," she replied vaguely, waving her hand as if to say 'It doesn't matter!' "But really, you think this is a joke? It looks rather detailed and professional to be a practical prank."

"Why would this be in the restricted section? Hmm…Maybe it's true?" He grinned widely. "'Haps your mum and Uncle really did cheat?"

"Don't be daft," she sighed. "Uncle Harry was the most talented Seeker in a hundred years. He wouldn't need to spy to win."

Scorpius shrugged. "I'm just supposing."

"I've been thinking," she whispered, casting a nervous glance around and lowering her voice, "There aren't any books on You-Know-Who in the library. Not even in the restricted section. I've been in there a hundred times, but this is the first time I've seen _that_," she pointed to the article she had found. "Someone must have put it there, like they wanted _me_ to find it…"

"You're being paranoid," he scoffed. "It's not like there's a voice in your head that told you to go there."

_Right._

"R-right," she said, sitting back. "Yes, you're…You're absolutely right."

_He's absolutely wrong._

**Today marks two years to the day that I joined . Please drop in a review as celebration!**

**Pan-tan**


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